Kids at Play Activity Program

Important changes to Kids at Play Activity Program – November 2010

Please be advised that over the coming months there will be important changes occurring to the Kids at Play Activity Program (the Activity Program) and how the service will be used in the future.

As many of you will be aware,  Sport and Recreation Services (SRS) in partnership with ACT Health and the Heart Foundation ACT have in recent years expanded the Activity Program to include vital health and nutrition components.  This project, titled the Kids at Play Active Play and Eating Well Project, has been developed in consultation with the local industry and aims to build the capacity of early childhood providers to provide healthy and active environments for children aged 0-5 years through the promotion of key messages and resources.

Over the past 12 months the Kids at Play Active Play and Eating Well Project has achieved a number of key milestones including: the launch of an early childhood sector training program; physical activity and nutrition training manual; active play DVD; factsheets and posters; and a dedicated website www.kidsatplay.act.gov.au to name just a few. These initiatives have been well received by the sector with more than 250 directors/carers having now completed the training and further opportunities scheduled for 2011 to meet the ongoing demand.   Throughout this process the overwhelming feedback has been the need for ongoing support and resources for staff working in the sector to ensure they have the appropriate skills to deliver positive and sustainable nutrition and physical activity outcomes within centres. This feedback has been carefully considered by project partners and has influenced the planned future direction of the program. 

Over the coming months the format of the Activity Program will be modified to directly support the activities of the Kids at Play Active Play and Eating Well Project.  The van service will form part of a comprehensive training and support program for the early childhood sector with eligible centres participating in the Active Play and Eating Well Project able to access the service as part of the formal training and post intervention process. This targeted approach will further support early childhood centres committed to providing healthy and active environments for children.  Centres will be informed of planned activities and how they can access the service through the Active Play and Eating Well Project in early 2011.

Regrettably this new direction will mean that the Activity Program no longer has the capacity to service broader community organisations and events including: expos, fetes, family days and/or community events. The van service will only be available to those centre’s directly involved in the Kids at Play Active Play and Eating Well Project. As a result organisations will no longer be able to book the van service directly from SRS. This change will occur effective immediately. 

Organisation’s unable to access the van service are strongly encouraged to utilise the resources of the Kids at Play website to support active play including; factsheets and posters; activity plans; fun games and activities; and active play DVD footage. New information and resources are being regularly added the website to support carers and parents engaging with children in the 0-5 year age bracket.

If you would like further information on the new direction or how it impacts on your organisation please contact Grant Voysey on phone 6207 2073 or email grant.voysey@act.gov.au.